CHAPTER V. They Visit The Great Morai

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# CHAPTER V. They Visit The Great Morai ## Overview This is Chapter V, titled "They Visit The Great Morai," from Herman Melville's novel, [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJ8ZNB03D0FWFP362WQEN). This chapter spans lines 565 to 775 of its source text. ## Context This chapter is part of the novel [Mardi: And a Voyage Thither](arke:01KG8AJ8ZNB03D0FWFP362WQEN), which is included in the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The text for this chapter was extracted from the digital file [mardi_vol2.txt](arke:01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9). It follows [CHAPTER IV. Hivohitee MDCCCXLVIII](arke:01KG8AJNJQG7DNZHZCMC33X85F) and precedes [CHAPTER VI. They Discourse Of The Gods Of Mardi, And Braid-Beard Tells Of One Foni](arke:01KG8AJNK0ZYX7B9FSGP1VKF2A). ## Contents The chapter details the characters' visit to the great Morai of Maramma, a sacred burial place for Pontiffs and a promenade for idols. Guided by Braid-Beard, the party observes various customs and features of the Morai, including a shallow water-course for ritual washing, thatched arbors for devotees, and a hillock of bone-dry sand serving as a sepulcher. They encounter Runic-looking stones, the sacred spring of Oro, and a large stone image of Doleema, to which human sacrifices were once offered. The narrative also describes a dead forest-tree, denominated Ananna, from which baskets of fruit hang as offerings. A significant portion of the chapter focuses on a philosophical discussion and confrontation between the guide Pani, a blind pilgrim, a sad-eyed maiden, Fauna, and a "willful boy" regarding the nature of the gods and belief. The boy expresses doubts and a personal, intuitive understanding of Oro, contrasting with the dogmatic views of Pani and the pilgrims. The chapter concludes with Pani's profound meditation on doubt and deception after the boy departs.

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2026-01-30T20:48:57.406Z

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description_title

CHAPTER V. They Visit The Great Morai

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775

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2026-01-30T20:47:38.723Z

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01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9

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565

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null

title

CHAPTER V. They Visit The Great Morai